
NAME
write  -  write to another user

SYNOPSIS
write user [ ttyno ]

DESCRIPTION
Write copies characters from your typewriter to that  of  another
user.  When first called, it sends the message

     00:00: Message from yourname at ttyx

The recipient of the message should write  back  at  this  point.
Communication  continues  until  an  end of file (Ctrl-D) is read
from standard input.  At that point write  writes  'EOT'  on  the
other terminal and exits.

If you want to write to a user who is logged in more  than  once,
the  ttyno argument may be used to indicate the last character of
the appropriate typewriter name.

Permission to write may be denied or granted by use of  the  mesg
(I)  command.   At  the  outset writing is allowed.  Certain com-
mands, in particular roff (I) and pr (I),  disallow  messages  in
order to prevent messy output.

If the character '!' is found at the beginning of a  line,  write
calls the shell to execute the rest of the line as a command.

The following protocol is suggested for  using  write:  when  you
first  write  to  another user, wait for him to write back before
starting to send.  Each party should end each message with a dis-
tinctive  signal  (typing  an extra blank line is typically used)
that the other may reply.

FILES
/etc/utmp       to find user
/bin/sh         to execute '!'
/dev/tty?       to write to user

SEE ALSO
mesg (I), who (I), mail (I)

BUGS
